Fuel to The Fire
by DearSweetPapercut
Summary: A series of encounters lead Hodges to realise that the way Sara treats him only adds fuel to the fire...
1. Chapter 1

Just for fun.

Hope you all like it, please make my day and review :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Fuel to the Fire **

**Elevators and Entrapment **

Sara slammed her car door stepping out into the dimly lit parking lot under the Las Vegas Crime Lab. The humidity that embraced her as she walked towards the elevator was a reminder of the fact that she could have been sitting comfortably at home. Her pager bleeped in her pocket for the millionth time that afternoon. _Grissom. Most likely._ Sara thought bitterly as she ignored it.

Today was supposed to be her first day off after two weeks of pulling doubles and the occasional triple. But somehow she had found herself stuck in Vegas traffic in the middle of the day. The AC in her car had been on the blinkers for weeks but it had chosen today (of all days) to give up on her. The journey that should have taken her no longer than a hour took over three and alongside that the heat had almost been unbearable.

"Ah, Sara." A familiar voice brought her back to reality as she stepped into the steel box that could induce claustrophobia in most people. Sara groaned inwardly as she glanced up to see the smug face of the trace tech. She gave him a brief smile before turning away to face the door of the lift.

"So, I guess Grissom's got you pulling another double?" he asked attempting to make small talk.

"Very observant Hodges, well done." Sara said sarcastically throwing a patronising smile with gritted teeth his way. She couldn't work out if it was his company that made her snarky or if she was that irritated with the truth he had just spoken.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." he muttered loud enough for her to hear.

"No, I haven't been to sleep yet. I'm actually starting to question whether I even remember what my bed looks like." She explained watching the ceiling rather than looking at her co-worker. Knowing that seeing his smug, most likely well rested face would only add to her anger.

"The life of a CSI." Hodges sympathised. "I've got to say, since I've been working grave yard my sleep patterns have become just like my first year at college. But at least then I got to be up all night partying rather than being stuck in a lab." Sara shot him a questioning look with a raised eye brow that made him to feel uneasy.

"I can be a lot of fun I'll have you know Ms Sidle." He said hoping that his mock confidence didn't appear too false.

"I'm sure you can." Sara said in a low, raspy voice, her lips curling into a smirk as she imagined the mildly irritating lab teach drunk. Hodges turned to look at the woman next to him with a frown. There had always been something about Sara that made him nervous; perhaps it was the fact that she had cut him down more times than he could count over the time they had been working together.

"Actually-" at that moment the lift gave a lurch and after a few seconds it came to a halt. The light above them started flickering.

"Call the emergency line." Sara indicated to the phone near him. Hodges nodded gripping the phone tightly in his hand while pushing the button. Sara could hear the phone ringing from where she stood her fingers crossed that someone would answer.

"Hello." A calm voice said from the other side.

"Hi, my name is David Hodges, myself and my colleague Sara Sidle are stuck in the D Block elevator." He explained as clearly as he could. There was the sound of furious typing came from the other end of the conversation.

"It looks like there is an electric fault we'll send someone right away."

"Thank you, please hurry." Hodges responded placing the phone back of the hook and turned to Sara with a helpless expression. His companion groaned leaning her head against the wall her arms crossed across her chest.

"Hodges...you ever have those days were you regret getting out of bed?" She asked in a low voice her eyes focused on the ceiling.

"I thought you haven't been to bed." He responded knowing full well that it would annoy her. Sara shot him a warning look letting him know that smart-ass comments were most certainly not welcome.

"Actually, yes I have." he said with an attempt at an innocent expression.

"Well, I'm having one of those days." A frustrated mutter resounded.

"It could be worse." Hodges said with a grin. "You could be stuck in here with Sanders... or even Bobby!"

"I'd take either over you David Hodges. And what do you have against Bobby?" Sara narrowed her eyes at him.

"That hurt, Sara. I hope you know that. And I have nothing against Bobby, I just find him rather cavalier that's all." Hodges said his hands clasped in front of him, shrugging in his childishly nervous manner.

"That sounds rich coming from you." Sara snorted. She glanced up from her feet to see the clearly hurt expression of her co-worker realising that perhaps she had taken it to a step too far. She had spent many years in San Francisco working with men like David Hodges; those who acted up due to insecurity or those suffering the fear of rejection. Hell, she'd even dated men like him.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"It's okay." He shifted his stand mirroring Sara's; against the wall arms across his chest, his eyes focusing on the floor and ceiling carefully avoiding directly looking at the person in front of him. There was silence between them as neither knew what would be the right thing to say in the situation they had found themselves in.

"And, Greg's a nice guy you just have to get to know him." She said softly feeling guilty for the way that their co-workers had been treating Hodges. He was human after all. Annoying. But human.

"Well...from what I know so far, I don't think we'll be getting on too well." Hodges shrugged again. "To be honest... I haven't really clicked with anyone here... apart from Grissom."

"Really, people here are responding differently to how they did in LA?" Sara asked pursing her lips attempting to suppress a smirk. Hodges responded with silence knowing only too well what she was suggesting.

The elevator lurched again the doors finally opening on the lobby at the lab, a technician stood with an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that." He said as he stepped out of the way to let them out.

"It's fine, have a nice day." Sara said as she stalked off down the hallway ready to get to work.

Hodges stood watching her disappear while he wondered what the strange feeling that had taken hold of his stomach was.


	2. Chapter 2

Hope you all like this, please make my day and review :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Fuel to the Fire **

**Revelations and Results **

Sara stood in the trace lab exhaustion washing over her body as she waited patiently for Hodges to reappear and give her the results she desperately needed. She closed her eyes and leant back against the glass panel that separated the lab from the hall way. It was at that moment that David Hodges reappeared making a noisy entrance in order to make sure that the CSI was awake.

"Sara, I don't think I paged you. Actually, I'm certain I didn't page you, it is ten am." He said with a furrowed brow sitting down on the new office chair that the department had provided after much insistence on his part. Sara remained silent slowly readjusting to the lighting.

"Ten am, Sara, is my mid-morning coffee break. Every day, between ten and ten twenty-three I'm not in my lab." He explained while shifting through the files on his desk.

"I need you to put a rush on my samples." Sara demanded.

"Now, why would I do that?" he asked with a grim smile swinging in the chair so he was facing her.

"Because I asked you to?" Sara shrugged hoping that this little game would be over quickly enough that she could get back to work and perhaps even make it home at a reasonable time.

"Well...look at it this way, I put a rush on your results, do them now but what's going to happen is later on Catherine or Grissom will come in here making noise about how their samples are always run first-" He started explaining crossing his arms across his chest in full ranting mode.

"Will you do it, if I ask really nicely?" She asked with the most charming smile she could muster.

"How nicely?" Hodges smirked.

"Uhm...Hodges could you please, please put a rush on my samples." Sara hoped that what she had said did not come across as false as it really was.

"Definitely...not nice enough...I was thinking something more along the lines of, oh Hodges, is there anything trace can't do? You're amazing-"

"That's it. You've officially changed my mind." Sara said loudly throwing her hands up in defeat.

"What?" Hodges stopped in his tracks asking. "What have you changed your mind about?"

"Tonight is Greg's house warming party. And I remembered you said felt you didn't click with anyone, so I was going to ask you to be my plus one. But now, I don't think I want you there." Sara frowned, knowing that it was an under handed method, but Greg would understand she assured herself.

"I can do your samples now...if you want?" Hodges turned back to his desk finding Sara's things.

"That's much better, I may consider re-inviting you." Sara took a seat next to him, watching him while he worked.

Hodges attempted to shrug off the tension he felt in his back knowing that Sara was watching over him as he worked. Her stormy dark eyes burning holes in the back of his head caused his hands to shake ever so slightly as he worked with the small samples that she had collected.

After ten awkward minutes of Sara watching his every move, Hodges finally pressed print having gotten the results ready.

"Barbara Sher would be pleased." He smiled handing her the print out. Sara raised an eyebrow letting him know that she didn't understand his reference.

"We are like violins. We can be used as doorstops, or we can make music. Your trace is rosin, traces contains pine, beeswax and meteoric iron, suggests that it was used on violin strings to help the bow hairs grip and make them speak." Hodges explained.

"Oh." was all Sara could muster.

"I used to play violin- twelve years." Hodges shared. "Grade eight, played first violin in orchestra until Billy Johnson and his Klaus Mueller moved into town. My Otto Ernst Fischer was just as good. But still I was forced to play second violin for a whole semester."

"Sounds traumatic." Sara agreed sarcastically.

"Oh it really was. I played a beautiful rendition of Vivaldi's Allegro for my audition. Did you play any instruments?" he asked his eyes glazed over with memories.

"No, I never had the chance."

"I play piano too...I could teach you..." Hodges said before thinking.

"Uhm...maybe... So are you going to be my plus one to Greg's house warming?" Sara asked with a genuine smile realising that the slightly eccentric lab tech wasn't really all that bad. Well, he wasn't a bad person at least.

"Sure, thank you for asking Sara. What time do you want me to pick you up?" He was clearly taken aback by her thoughtfulness, his clear blue eyes lighting up.

"About eight?" Sara reached past him to his desk, picking up a pen and scribbled on a bit of paper. "That's my address and number, I'll see you later."

She gave him a half smile and disappeared out of the door while Archie stood outside with a bemused expression on his face. Once Sara had disappeared out of ear shot he stepped inside with a look that said he wasn't going to give up easily.

"Is Sara okay?" He asked with a smirk.

"Of course she is, you just saw her." Hodges retorted with a frown.

"That I did, and I saw she was giving you her address and her number, so I assume she's currently experience some type of illness that is causing her to be delusional." Archie laughed.

"Actually, I'm her plus one to Greg's housing warming party tonight. She gave me her address so I could pick her up." He explained in a bored voice.

"Hey, Henry!" Archie shouted getting the toxicology technician's attention and then beckoned him over.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a worried expression, assuming that would be only reason they were standing around chatting, when there was work to be done and unhappy Grissom from what he heard from Mandy.

"Guess which CSI our Davey Hodges managed to score a date with for tonight?" Archie asked not being able to repress his glee.

"Julie Stink-eye from Days?" Henry answered making an educated guess, he'd heard all about her "connection" with Hodges, another tit-bit of information from Mandy.

"Oh no...Sara Sidle." the AV tech., revealed slowly.

"No way, is she okay?" Henry asked his reaction mirroring Archie's one only a few moments ago.

"It's not a date..." Hodges rolled his eye brows. "...At least I don't think it is."

"Catherine!" Archie called the other CSI over, to be able to share the news. "Hodges got a date for tonight's party."

"Who's the...er...lucky...lady?" Catherine attempted not to laugh.

"Sara." Henry jumped in.

"Wow, I think she finally might to have to take some leave since she got here, she's sick right?" Catherine looked from Henry to Archie.

"It's not a date, and will you people get out of my lab!" Hodges snapped, his cheeks beetroot as he attempted to silently figure out whether being Sara's plus one was actually a date or not...


	3. Chapter 3

Hope you all like this, please make my day and review :)

Huge props to Charlie!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Fuel to the Fire **

**Bodies and Shots **

Hodges waited nervously outside of Sara's apartment building while the cab driver cast him agitated glances to hurry whoever they were waiting for up, when he turned back to the door to see Sara fumbling with her keys. She was wearing tight black jeans and a stripy shirt, it was not until she got closer to him that he realised that the shirt was almost transparent. Hodges took a nervous deep breath when his eyes found themselves comprehending the lacy black basque underneath the thin fabric. He quickly looked away to see Sara smirking at him as she stalked past him climbing into the back of the cab.

Once they were driving through the neon streets of Vegas the awkward atmosphere between them did not ease. Sara dug out a bottle from her bag with a click of her tongue after taking a swing she offered it to Hodges.

"What is it?" he asked eyeing the clear liquid with concern.

"Vodka." Sara informed him with a smile.

"No thank you." he declined politely.

"Come on David, loosen up a bit." She laughed thrusting the bottle at him until he finally took it from her. With a disgusted look on his face he took a mouthful of the liquid and handed the bottle back to Sara. She smirked taking another mouthful of the bitter liquid her eyes not leaving his.

"What do you have to lose?" Before he could stop her Sara had closed the space between them her lips brushing his ear as she whispered. The bottle was again in his hand and with Sara's careful gaze he took another mouthful.

She watched him with an amused expression, as though she could see the alcohol burning away at his defences. Hodges had never been drunk in front of his workmates before, in fact he was pretty sure he represented the epitome of responsibility in the lab but something about the glint in Sara's eye when she passed that bottle back again made him want to lose control.

The pair stood at Greg's door waiting for a response, it eventually swung open to display their host casually dressed in a shirt and jeans. Sara breezed in planting a kiss on his cheek that lingered just a moment too long while placing the bottle of wine in his hand. She pulled back looking at her friend with her eyes lustily clouded over, her plus one awkwardly standing outside the door frame watching anxiously on, thinking that any moment now their lips would collide as if they were lovers. But he was proved wrong as Sara whispered something in Greg's ear and disappeared into the chaotic house.

"Come in...I guess..." Greg said with a monotone voice and a shrug of his shoulders moving away back into his house with the aim of finding Sara to ask her what the hell was going on.

Hodges moved in letting his ears slowly adjusting to the loud music and the shrill voices of his co-workers. This was most certainly not the sort of place he usually would be, but for some strange reason unknown to himself it felt nice to be a part of something.

Greg finally found Sara in the kitchen pouring a drink while chatting with Archie. His finger's encircled Sara's wrist as he pulled her away from the AV-tech.

"What are you doing bringing Mr Self-Righteous here?" he asked with a disappointed expression.

"Oh just for some fun..." She smirked but her answer did not satisfy her friend.

"Okay okay...can we just say I owe you?" she offered with a raised eye brow.

"Sure..." Greg leant in whispering in her ear. "But know...I _will_ collect."

They shared an intense gaze for a moment before Sara gave him a beaming smile planting another kiss on his cheek. Greg turned to see Hodges looking intently at his pet fish with an expression that displayed nothing but awe. _This could be fun_, he thought was slight amusement.

"Here." Sara returned to Hodges's side handing him a plastic cup filled with a suspicious looking liquid.

"What is it?" he asked innocently with raised eyebrows.

"Just drink it." was the only response from his companion. And with that she disappeared again slinking away on her heels, her long legs and the way of her hips mesmerising him.

"So where's your date?" Henry asked appearing from what seemed like nowhere.

"She went that way..." Hodges responded pointing in the direction in which he had seen Sara walking.

"How's it going so far?" His almost friend asked with genuine interest.

"Well she was twenty minutes late, made me drink vodka in the cab like we were some sorts of delinquent teenagers and now she's abandoned me so I've made friends with Sander's fish..." He spoke quickly not wanting to give away the fact that he was having fun- that this side to Sara was most certainly someone that caught his attention.

"Sounds like a good night to me... and Sara's looks...nice." he said slowly.

"Pervert." Hodges threw the word at him as if it were an object.

"You can't say you haven't noticed?" Henry accused. It was true- he had noticed. He'd noticed from the moment he'd seen her walking out her apartment towards him.

"I'm going to find Sara." He said quietly excusing himself. Hodges stepped into what appeared to be the dining room while everyone stood surrounding the table. He muscled his way to the front to see what it was that everyone was doing.

"Sara you have to call while it's still in the air!" Greg shouted at his friend as she watched him with a frown.

"What's going on?" Hodges muttered to Archie who happened to be next him.

"We're playing Flip, Sip or Strip." He explained briefly his eyes on back on Sara.

"Heads." She shouted.

"Sorry Sar but it's tails." Greg smirked showing her the coin as proof. A shot of tequila was placed in front of her and after grimacing slightly Sara took the shot to be met with applause. The continued playing the coin finally getting around to Hodges who simply just handed it to Archie.

"I refuse to partake in his." He said simply while he got "booed" but his now drunk co-workers.

He stood watching completely perplexed by the way the professionals he worked with were acting. This apparently was a way to unwind but as they all laughed and jeered he began wondering how it was in any way liberating.

"Sorry Sara, you're wrong again...you know what three times means." Greg grinned at her.

"What does three times mean?" Hodges asked Archie who rolled his eyes at how oblivious the trace tech appeared to be.

"Well...strip is in the title for a reason." he said mildly cryptically.

"Sara has to strip?" He asked his voice hitched slightly as he glanced nervously at the brunette who looked accusingly at Greg.

"Yeah, pretty much." Archie now had turned completely away from him, his eyes glued on Sara who stood shakily before them.

But without further ado her fingers worked on the buttons on the front of her blouse slowly and seductively- she finally removed the garment throwing it down on the middle of the table exposing to those surrounding the table her lace clad torso.

Initially Hodges found himself taking a quick inhale of breath amazed by the sight of her almost bare skin. But it then hit him exactly how wrong it was to be starting at Sara like this. He removed his jacket walking to her side he wrapped his around her shoulders as she did so she tumbled into his arms with her eyes closed.

"What's wrong with you people?" He accused as he wrapped his arms around Sara as if protecting her from the heartless stares of predators.


	4. Chapter 4

Hope you all like this, please make my day and review :)

Sorry it took me so long to update!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Fuel to the Fire **

**Responses and Regrets **

"Sara where is your hand bag?" Hodges asked steadying her on her feet. Sara shook her head in response to the question as she attempted to make her eyes focus, soon enough someone was handing her handbag and jacket to him.

"I'm taking her home." He announced to the rest of the crowd. Letting Sara rest her head on his shoulder Hodges began walking to the door followed by Greg.

"Hodges!" Greg shouted attempting to stop him.

"What Sanders?" Hodges said through gritted teeth.

"We were just having a laugh, Sara knows that. I wouldn't have let her do anything she'd regret or that would have hurt her." Greg explained in a surprisingly sober sounding voice.

"Sure and letting her strip isn't either one of those things? You think those guys in there would have looked at her the same way ever again?" With the question still hanging in the air Hodges helped Sara out of the door.

Hodges stood on the curb waiting for the cab while Sara continued to rest her head on his shoulder. She spontaneously started giggling, her hands gripping hold of him even tighter in order to stay up right. He felt himself becoming slowly more unnerved- he wasn't used to hearing Sara giggle. Sara didn't giggle. She laughed- she had a throaty, sexy smokers laugh. One he only ever heard when she was cutting him or one of the other guys down.

"At least, I can say someone saw my underwear... can't hide it... it's been a while." She sighed before starting to giggle again.

"Oh..." was the only response Hodges could think of as he felt himself become suddenly hot under the collar attempting to think about what he could to help Sara with her dry spell.

"Do you like my underwear Hodges?" She paused to yawn before adding. "It's Agent Provocateur."

"It's...er...very nice." He responded nervously, hoping that she would stop talking about her underwear and her sex life.

"The panties match...you wanna see?" She asked sounding slightly hopeful.

"No thank you." Hodges said politely.

"Greg would have said yes." She pouted.

"I'm sure he would have, Mr Sanders has never been known for his chivalry." Hodges muttered quietly.

"So...are you saying you don't want to sleep with me?" Sara asked with an odd type of seriousness to her tone.

"I'm saying you're drunk." He responded turning to look at her.

"So that's not a 'no'." She said with a devilish smile and a glint in her eye.

It was at that moment the cab pulled up in front of them. Using this opportunity to avoid an embarrassing situation Hodges opened the door and bundled Sara into the back seat. He walked around the car and sat himself in the other side.

"What would I have to do to get you to sleep with me David?" Sara asked as he settled in to the seat beside her.

"Well you'd have to be sober for a start." he muttered.

"I can be sober...come back to mine for coffee..." Sara responded in a husky voice, scooting over until she was almost sitting in his lap. Hodges shuffled away to the point he realised out of the door was the only place left to escape to.

"Sara please, you're invading my personal space." He said with increasing irritability and uncomforted. Was it bad that he could barely remember the last time that a woman had been physically this close to him of her own free will?

"Fine..." Sara backed off, taking her seat on the other side of the cab again.

By the time they had finally reached Sara's apartment she fallen asleep her head leaning against the door. She looked peaceful, serene, a way that Hodges had never seen her before, and as temping at as it was to wake her he realised it would be a cruel thing to do. He gently opened her side of the door and swept her up into his arms.

Flicking the light switch he lit up the inside of Sara's apartment, surprised at how neat it appeared to be. Gently Hodges placed her down on the sofa, placing a blanket over her. As he headed towards the door he checked his pockets to ensure his house keys were there but to his dismay he realised they were not. With a sense of panic he began quickly checking every other place he could have put them.

"Damn." He muttered under his breath and he realised that the keys were not on his person.

"Home already?" Sara groaned from behind him as she glanced around. Without a word to Sara he disappeared through the door to check whether he had dropped his keys in the cab that was still waiting.

"Mate, can you hurry up, I've got other fares." The driver urged as he searched the back seat.

"I'm trying." Hodges responded as he stretched his hand out under the seat a grim expression on his face as he realised there were many rather disgusting things, but still no keys.

Hodges paid the fare with a disappointed expression made his way back to Sara's apartment. He knocked on the door and waited with his hands clasped in front of him and an irritated expression. Sara opened the door with a frown that quickly changed to a smirk.

"Is this the point where you say something like 'take me now' and drag you inside and go to town on you?" Sara asked, speaking slowly so her words wouldn't sound too slurred.

"Er no, I've lost my key's and I was wondering if I could stay here tonight." He asked politely ignoring what she'd just said.

"Let me think about it...No." And Sara closed the door in his face. Hodges jumped back surprised at how rude she'd been and knocked on the door again.

"Oh... you again." She said rolling her eyes.

"Who did you think it would be? Santa Claus?" He asked flatly.

"A sexy Santa?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a nymphomaniac?"

"I'm whatever you want me to be..." Sara said in a low voice, her eyes lighting up.

"Can I stay?" Hodges responded bluntly not wanting to play any of Sara's games.

"Fine" She moved out of the way letting him in.

"Thank you." He said sounding exasperated.

"Yeah, whatever." Sara shouted as she disappeared strolling to her bedroom leaving him alone to figure out what to do.


End file.
